Madhya Pradesh High Court judge cycles to Court after PM Modi's appeal to save fuel

Madhya Pradesh High Court judge Justice Dwarka Dhish Bansal was seen cycling to Court on Tuesday in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal to conserve fuel amid the ongoing global energy crisis due to the US-Iran war. .Justice Bansal, who is posted at the Jabalpur Bench of the High Court, travelled nearly three kilometres from his official residence in the Civil Lines area to the court premises on a bicycle, accompanied by a court staff member. .In a video shared on social media after the ride, Justice Bansal said he decided to cycle to court to send a message that even judges must participate in efforts to conserve fuel.“I’ve been seeing since two days, looking at the global crisis, Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji has appealed to save fuel among other things. Keeping it in mind, I felt I should cycle to High Court and give a message to the common man to use cycle to commute whenever possible for shorter distances,” he said..Justice Bansal added that he regularly cycles around Jabalpur with Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and stressed that judges were not exempt from ordinary civic responsibilities.“I keep cycling with Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva sometimes around the city of Jabalpur. I don’t think it’s much work to cycle. Just because we are High Court judges doesn’t mean we are special,” he said..The judge’s action came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in public addresses over the last two days, urged citizens to adopt fuel-saving measures in view of the economic strain caused by the ongoing West Asia crisis and rising global crude oil prices.Speaking at events in Secunderabad and Vadodara, the Prime Minister said India must act cautiously as international tensions have pushed up fuel prices and could place additional pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves and import bill.He appealed to citizens to avoid unnecessary fuel consumption, use public transport wherever possible and opt for cycling or electric vehicles for short-distance travel. PM Modi also advised people to cut down on non-essential expenditure, including discretionary purchases, and suggested that work-from-home practices could be encouraged again in appropriate sectors to reduce travel-related fuel usage.